when aphrodite and athena became relatives

1. let's do this

Piper spoke fluently in a language that Annabeth recognised, but didn't understand. In front of her was a man with a long beard, standing with one foot on a sailboat and smoking a cigar. The conversation got more interesting when the man started confusing other languages and didn't know what to say anymore, until he eventually gave up his boat to Piper for a bunch of golden drachmas.
"You comin'?" she asked Annie, who was still waiting a few meters farther.
"Yeah, yeah". she smiled and reached for Piper's hand, who helped her get on the boat.
Sailing always reminded her of Percy, of course. But she couldn't bring back the dead, not now, not then. She had spent so much time mourning over his death, claiming herself guilty for not being able to save him, when not even ten out of twelve god of Olympus – including the God of medicine himself, Apollo, and his son, Aesculapius – were able to, that it wasn't until Piper had brought her out of the prison she had created for herself that she felt alive again. The two had spent several months together, then, until something sparkled. Or, more properly, the sparkle was already there: it just needed a match to be lit on.
Annabeth still remembered the first time she'd seen Piper, at the Grand Canyon, when she was amongst Jason's arms, the way she heroically took the news of the camp and everything else. And she still remembered the way she'd reminded Drew her place, when nobody else at the Aphrodite cabin seemed to be able to.
Piper, on the other hand, remembered the way she'd felt when Hermes had looked for her to tell her that Annabeth was locked in a golden cage. A golden cage that would've never been opened if not by being told the secret passage from Annabeth herself, which she obviously refused to do. Piper had then brought Leo, Calypso and even Hephaestus to try and unlock that, but nobody seemed to be able to. She spent several days and nights sleeping near her, locking eyes with Annabeth, hoping that one day she'll eventually give up the answer. And that day came only when Piper let one finger slip inside the cage by mistake and Annabeth instantly grabbed it.

That was their first time sailing. Together, of course.
Annabeth was afraid Poseidon might have treated them like Odysseus, for being disrespectful, but Piper was confident. After all, they had two other goddesses to protect them.
"It'll be okay" she told Annabeth, who still had tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't but–"
"It's difficult" she completed for her, "I know"
Annabeth nodded.
"You know, we could get off and try another time, it's not a problem"
"No" she stopped her "I'm okay. Let's do this". She managed to smile, and Piper grabbed her hands to kiss her, stroking her hand on her chin.
"Let's do this" she confirmed, then proceeded to start sailing. "Goodbye, Long Island"